Railway-head.



No. 638,977. Patented Dec. I2, I899. C. MILLS & L. W PENNEY.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filed m 4, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

C. MILLS &. L. W. PENNEY.

Patented Dec. l2, I899.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filed May 4, IBQQA No. 638,977. atented Dec. l2, I899.

, P C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filedflmy 4, 1899.)

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 638,977. Patented Dem I2, I899. C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

' RAILWAY HEAD.

(Application filed m 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

5 Shets-8heet 4.

IIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIII I N0. 638,977. Patented'Dac. l2, I899.

C. MILLS & L. W. PENNEY.

RAICWAY HEAD.

(Application filed May 4; 1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

NlTED SATES PATENT rrrcin.

CHARLES MILLS AND LOREN W. PENNEY, OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE SACO & PETTEE MACHINE SHOPS, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,977, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed May 4, 1899. Serial No. 715,538. (No model.)

i" 0 0 whofit it ntcty concern: 4

Be it known that we, CHARLES MILLS, of Newton Upper Falls, and LOREN W. PENNEY, of Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Heads and Fiber-Treating Machines of a Similar Nature, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains or with which it is most nearly connected to make and usethe same.

This invention has relation to railway-heads and fiber-treating machines of a similar nature, and has for its object, first, the provision of improvements in construction and mode of operation of those features which relate to the Variation in speed of one set of rollers with respect to the other or others; second, the provision of improvements in means for stopping the machine automatically in case of mishap and by hand when desired; third, the provision of improvements effecting compactness in construction, conserving spacein occupation, and tending to greater convenience in use and care, and, fourth, the provision of other improvements incidental to the foregoing, all as is hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of so much of a railway-head as it is necessary to show in order to explain the invention, some parts in the rear being omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 isa rear elevation, similarly omitting some of the parts in front of the machine. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view taken through the machine from front to rear. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the trumpet and'the levers and means connected therewith for stopping the machine and assisting in the control of one set of rolls with respect to the other to effect the evening of the sliver. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4:, the trumpet being removed. Fig. (5 is a plan view of a portion of the machine, showing the belt-shipping means for stopping and starting and the means for controlling the position of the friction-ring between the friction-cones which control the speed of one set of rolls with respect to the other or others.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the friction-ring-shifting means. Fig. Sis a similar view to Fig. 7, showing some of the parts in a different position. Fig. 9 is aside view, on an enlarged scale, of the im- '60 proved gear-stand and some of its connections.

In the drawings, rt designates the frame of the machine, (herein shown to be a railwayhead,) supporting the table Z).

c c are the front rolls, on the extended 6 5 shaft of the lower one of which are the pulleys d e, the former being fast on the shaft, while the latter runs loose thereon. Adjacent to the pulleys at e and on the outer end of their shaft is affixed the driving friction- 7o cone f, which is connected with and drives the driven cone g through the medium of the friction-ring h. The driven cone is placed directly in the rear of the driving-cone, both above the table I). The belt (shown in dotted line) running over the pulleys cl 'eis driven by a pulley on a counter-shaft (not shown) below the table. The front rolls are driven directly from the driving-pulley d, and the back drawing-rolls are operated from the shown.) The calender-rolls 7676 are also opero ated through the medium of suitable gearing from the driving means of the front rollers.

l designates the front trumpet, which delivers the sliver to the calendering-rolls, the

said trumpet being connected with the for- 5 ward end of a lever m, fulcrumed at n and extending rearwardly, and connected at its rearward part by a rod 0 with the rearward end of a leverp, extending forward obliquely under the table I). The leverpis fulcrumed 10o midway, as at g, on a bracket connected with the frame and is connected at its forward end Suitable gearby a rod 1" with a gear-shield s at a point horizontally opposite the shaft 25, on which the shield turns as a center. From a point below the center of the shield there depends a pendulum a, which performs important functions, as will be presently explained.

o designates a ratchet-gear pinned or otherwise fixed upon the shaft 6, extended through the front of the table I), and upon the said shaft there is also secured a sleeve-gear w, the front end of which has a bearing in the table. The gear to engages the teeth of the rack-bar x, which has a stand or carriage 3 connected therewith and extended up through an oblique slot- ,2, formed in the table, which stand or carriage is provided at its upper end with a hook or fork a for engaging the friction-ring h to shift it between the frictionconesfg.

b designates an adjustable eccentric secured upon the vertical shaftj, with which eccentric one end of a rod 0 is connected by means of a strap 01, the other end of the said rod being pivotally connected with the lower end of a vibratory lever e, hung loosely on the shaft i and having two pulling-pawls f pivoted upon its upper end.

The diameter of the shield s is as great as or greater than the ratchet-wheel 'u, so that when the pawls f rest upon the periphery of the shield they are held out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel. The shield is, however, cut away at its upper edge, so that when it is turned on the shaft 25 to allow one or the other of the pawls to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel the latter will be actuated, so as to shift the friction-ring h between the friction-cones to run the back rolls faster or slower, as the case may be, through the medium of the shaft i, pinion w, rack-bar 90, and shifting device y.

When the sliver is running thick or heavy through the trumpet, the latter will be depressed, raising the rear ends of the levers m and p and moving the shield s, so that a pawl may engage the ratchet-wheel and actuate the friction-ring-shifting means, so as to slow down the speed of the back drawing-rolls, and when the sliver is running light the trumpet will rise, effecting through the same medium an increase in the speed of the back drawing-rolls.

The adjustable pendulum u,connected with the shield, serves to steady the motion of the trumpet lever and shield, so that they may not be carried too far by momentum nor moved too easily. This is an important feature of the invention.

The shield s is arranged to operate on a turned-down portion of the shaft and between a shoulder formed by the turning down of the shaft and a knurled knob g, secured on the still further turned-down outer end of the shaft. This knob is provided in order that the shaft may be turned by hand in one direction or the other whenever desired.

h designates a pin inserted radially in a hole in the ratchet-wheel o and into a hole in the shaft 6, which serves to pin the ratchetwheel on the shaft, and its extension beyond the periphery of the wheel subserves as a trip or safety-stop for the pawls to prevent the friction-ring shifter from being moved too far in either direction, since when the ratchetwheel is moved so as to bring the stop-pin under either actuating-pawl and throw it out of operation the ring-shifter will have been moved to its utmost limit in that direction.

means for fastening the ratchet-wheel to its shaft. This latter office may be performed by a separate pin or other means.

The pawls f are provided with extensions or thumb-pieces 2" to enable the operator to disengage bot-h pawls simultaneously with the thumb and finger of one hand, so as to leave the ratchet-wheel free when it is required to turn the shaft t by hand, by means of the knurled knob g to shift the frictionring.

The sleeve of the gear to is carried into the flange of the table, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, for the purpose of providing sufficient peripheral surface for contact with the tableflange to effect an appreciable frictional resistance to rotation of the shifter-shaft. This construction serves to prevent movement of the ratchet 1;, except by the intended action of the pawls or by the manipulation of the knob g. The sleeve is preferably formed with a shoulder] to come against the inner side of the table-flange, and the hub of the pawl-carrier e is somewhat enlarged in diameter, as atj, to bear against the outer side of the said table-flange.

7c designates a belt-engaging fork projecting from a sleeve Z on a shaft 112-. A crankrod n engages another fork 0', connected with the sleeve, so that the operator by taking hold of the handle of the crank-rod may shift the belt from the loose to the fast pulley, and vice versa, to start and stop the machine.

A spring 1), surrounding the shaft m and hearing at one end against a stationary collar and at the other against a movable collar g, which in turn is adapted to operate against the end of the sleeve Z when the said spring is free, will operate the sleeve to shift the belt and stop the machine. A pivoted dog r, provided with a weighted arm 3, is adapted to drop into a notch at the end of the sleeve between it and the collar q, and so hold the spring back against shifting the belt. When the dog r is moved out of engagement with the collar q, the spring will be freed and the belt-shifting sleeve actuated.

A gear?! in the train of roll-operating gears is provided with a wrist-pin to, which operates in a slot in the upper end of a jointed link lever 11, the lower end of which is rigidly secured to a rock-rod w. The upper member of the link lever is provided with an inwardly-curved extension. 00 below its jointing-pivot, said extension operating in a kerf The stop-pin h need not serve also as a formed in the upper end of the lower memher, as shown in Fig. 2. The end of the extension x as the lever is vibrated strikes lightly against a vertical stud g on the weighted arm 8 of the pivot-ed dog 7- and keeps the two members of the jointed lever in line, so that the shaft m is rocked, oscillating a frame a, secured thereon, which frame is provided with end bars a Z).

The rear portion of the trumpet-lever m is curved downward, and its end when a sliver is passing through the trumpet just escapes being struck by the end barb" of the oscillating frame z. The rearportion of thelever 0, provided with a counterbalancing-weight d, resting on top of the coiler-gear cover, is constructed and arranged in like manner to the lever m, as may be best seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 5.

So long as the sliver running through the trumpet remains intact or does not run out the trumpet will be held down and the rear end of the lever on will be held up out of the way of the bar I)"; but when the sliver from any cause fails the rear end of the said lever will drop into the path of movement of the bar I), stop it and the rocking of the rod to, cause the jointed lever o to buckle and the projection or toe on to engage the stud y, disengage the dog r from the collarq', and allow the spring 19 to operate the sleeve Z, with the effect of shipping the belt and stopping the machine. The same operation will take place when the can becomes filled so as to raise the coiler-gear and the weight (1, allowing the rear end of the lever c to drop into the path of the bar Z)".

While the slivers running over the guiding spoons 6" remain intact or do not fail their lower or rearward ends f" will be held up out of engagement with the bar a; but when the sliver fails the end f" of the spoon will drop, engage the bar a, and stop the frame a and the rocking of the rod m, with the same effect as has just been described with reference to the operation of the levers m and c".

The gear-stand g (shown in detail in Fig. 9) is constructed as a flat piece of metal having parallel sides and a flanged base 72', adapting it to be secured upon the table. The forward portion 1' of the stand extends over and below the base h to provide for supporting gear-studs below the base and is recessed or cut away, as at 7r, so that a gear may be applied to or removed from a stud or shaft in line with the said recess.

The functions of the improvements have been so fully set forth in connection with the description of the construction and relationship of the parts as to render it unnecessary to give to those skilled in the art a further explanation thereof.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, it is declared that what is claimed is' 1. In a railway-head, evener mechanism comprising a shifter-shaft, a ratchet-wheel affixed thereto, pawls to move said wheel and shaft in either direction, an oscillatory pawlcarrier or lever journaled on the shaft, means for oscillating said pawl-carrier, a disk loosely centered on the shaft and having a segmental cut-away portion normally between the pawls, said disk constituting a shield normally preventing engagement of the pawls with the ratchet-wheel, and sliver'controlled means regulating the position of the said shield, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a railway-head, evener mechanism comprising a shifter-shaft, a ratchet-wheel affixed thereto, pawls to move said wheel and shaft in either direction, an oscillatory pawlcarrier or lever journaled on the shaft, means for oscillating said pawlcarrier, aratchetshield loosely mounted on the shaft and normally preventing engagement of the pawls with the ratohetwheel,a pendulu m suspended centrally from said shield and tending to hold the same in normal position, and sliver-com,

trolled means regulating the position of the said shield, the pendulum steadying movement of said sliver-controlled means.

3. In a railway-head, evener mechanism comprising a shifter-shaft, a ratchet-wheel affixed thereto, pawls to move said wheel and shaft in either direction, an oscillatory pawlcarrier or lever journaled on the shaft, means for oscillating said pawl-carrier, a disk loosely centered on the shaft and havinga segmental c ut-away portion normally between the pawls, said disk constituting a shield normally preventing engagement of the pawls with the ratchet-wheel, a pendulum suspended from said disk at a point diametrically opposite the middle of the cut-away portion thereof, and sliver-controlled means regulating the position of the said shield, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4-. In an evener mechanism for railwayheads, the combination of a shifter-shaft; an oscillatory pawl-carrier thereon; means for oscillating said carrier; a pair of oppositelyset pawls 011 the carrier; a ratchet-wheel fastened on the shaft and arranged to be turned by one or the other of the pawls, said wheel having astop projection to limit its movement in either direction byencountering the acting pawl; a ratchet-shield; and sliver-controlled means regulating the position of the latter.

5. In an evener mechanism for railwayheads, the combination of a shifter-shaft; an oscillatory pawl-carrier thereon; means for oscillating said carrier; a pair of oppositelyset pawls on the carrier; a ratchet-wheel fastened on the shaft and arranged to be turned by one or the other of the pawls, a pin securing the ratchet-wheel to the shaft and projecting to limit its movement in either direction by enconnterin g the acting pawl,a ratchet-shield and sliver-controlled means regulating the position of the latter.

6. In an evener mechanism for railwayheads, the combination of a shifter-shaft; an oscillatory pawl-carrier thereon; means for oscillating said carrier; a pair of oppositelyset pawls 011 the carrier; a ratchet-wheel on the shaft and arranged to be turned by one or the other of the pawls, said wheel having a stop projection to limit its movement in either direction by encountering the acting pawl; a ratchet shield; sliver controlled means for regulating the position of the latter, and a handle affixed on the end of the shifter-shaft to provide for manipulation thereof independently of the sliver-regulated mechanism.

7- In an evener mechanism for railwayheads, the combination of a shifter-shaft; an oscillator pawl-carrier thereon; means for oscillating said carrier; a pair of oppositelyset pawls on the carrier having angular thumbpieces whereby they may be held in inoperative position; a ratchet-Wheel fastened on the shaft and arranged to be turned by one or the other of the pawls; a ratchet-shield; slivercontrolled means regulating the position of the latter; and a handle affixed on the end of the shifter-shaft to provide for manipulation thereof independentlyof the sliver-regulated mechanism.

8. A movable gear-shield provided with a pendulum, as set forth.

9. The combination of the table, the shaft extended through the table, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft; an oscillating pawl-carrier loose on the shaft havinga hub enlarged adjacent to the table; friction-cones; a friction-rin g between the comes; a shifter for shifting the said ring between the cones; a sleeve-gear on the shaft for operating the shifter; the sleeve of said gear having an enlargement adjacent to the table, as atj, as set forth.

10. The fast and loose belt-pu1leys and their shaft; the shaft m and a sleeve thereon provided with a fork to engage the belt and a second crank-shaft fork; a movable collar on the said shaft adjacent to said sleeve; a spring adapted to act upon the said collar; a movable dog adapted to lock the collar against the action of the spring, and means for releasing the dog.

11. The combination of the fast and loose belt-pulleys a belt-shipping device; a spring for moving the belt-shipping device; a dog for locking the spring against action upon the belt-shipping device; a lever engaged with the trumpet-arm and constructed to constitute a stop when sliver fails; and normallyineffective dog-displacing means arranged to cooperate with this lever as a stop when the sliver running through the trumpet fails, whereby the dog will be displaced and the spring released, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. The combination of the fast and loose belt-pulleys; a belt-shipping device; a spring for moving the belt-shipping device; a dog for locking the spring against action upon the belt-shipping device; a vertically-movable, horizontally disposed coiler can gear; a weighted lever associated therewith and constructed to constitute a stop; and normallyineffective dog-displacing means arranged to cooperate with said lever as a stop when the coiler-can becomes filled and the coiler-gear is raised by the sliver.

13. The combination of the fast and loose belt-pulleys; a belt-shipping device; a spring for moving the belt-shipping device; a dog for locking the spring against action upon the belt-shipping device; a vertically-movable, horizontally-disposed coiler-can gear; alever engaged with the trumpet-arm and constructed to constitute a stop when sliver fails; a Weighted lever concentric with said trumpetarm lever, associated with the said coiler-can gear and constructed to constitute a stop; and normally-ineffective dog-displacin g means arranged to cooperate with either of the levers as a stop when the sliver running through trumpet fails or when the coiler-can becomes filled, whereby the dog will be displaced and the spring released.

14. The combination of the fast and loose belt-pulleys; the roll-operating gears; the shaft 1%; a belt-shipping sleeve on the said shaft; a spring to move the said sleeve; a collar between the spring and sleeve; a dog to lock the said collar to hold the spring against action upon the sleeve; a jointed link lever o operatively connected with the roll-operating gears to act upon the dog to release the collar and allow the spring to act upon the belt-shipping sleeve.

15. In evener mechanism for a machine of the character described, the combination of a table; a shaft extended therethrough; a sleeve-gear on the shaft, its sleeve portion entering the table and having a frictional bearing therein; and means to move the shaft intermittingly, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 23d day of March, A. D. 1899.

CHARLES MILLS. LOREN \V. PENNEY.

Witnesses:

E. W. SABIN, S. O. THOMPSON. 

